watched one black-suited diver pull a paddle off the rack and smash it against the trailer wall. The other did the same. Then both men were gleefully smashing paddles in a riot of ruin.
“This looks even scarier because they’re faceless and soundless,” Helen said. “How many paddles did they break?”
“A dozen, at two hundred bucks apiece,” Phil said.
Snapped paddle shards were tossed about like downed branches after a windstorm. Then one vandal hoisted a paddleboard off the rack. The other followed him. Helen watched them walk out of the frame with the two boards.
“Look at the man on the left,” Phil said. “Is he limping?”
“I’m not sure,” Helen said. “He could be adjusting his gait because he’s carrying that heavy board.”
“Look at it one more time,” Phil said. He reversed the video until the two men were once again leaving the trailer carrying the boards, then slowed it so Helen could watch it frame by frame. Now she saw it.
“He’s definitely favoring his right ankle,” Helen said. “See how carefully he goes down the ramp?”
Phil sighed with relief. “We might have him,” he said. “Those men are the right size to be Jim’s former employee, Randy, and his buddy Buzz. They both have alibis for the time of the break-in. Each one says he spent the night with a girlfriend and the women confirm it.”
“Not exactly airtight,” Helen said.
“Is it too late to call Sunny Jim?” Phil said. They checked the office clock.
“It’s only eight,” Helen said.
Phil put the office phone on speaker and punched in Jim’s cell phone number.
“You got something for me?” Jim asked.
“I might,” Phil said. “Does your old employee, Randy, walk with a limp?”
“A limp?” Long pause. “No, he doesn’t limp. Where’d you get that idea?”
“Just a thought,” Phil said.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Jim said. “He doesn’t walk with a limp, but he sprained his ankle this spring. Happened late January, early February.”
“One of the guys on your security video has a limp,” Phil said.
“That’s Randy,” Jim said, his voice triumphant. “You got him.”
“Not really,” Phil said. “Not unless he’s still limping.”
“No, his ankle healed up in about six weeks. He’s walking fine now.”
“Did he go to the ER for his ankle?” Phil asked.
“Doubt it,” Jim said. “Randy doesn’t have health insurance. Well, at least we know he did the break-in. But that doesn’t help me.”
“We’ll keep at it,” Phil said. “Unless you need me, I’ll be tracking down the killer tomorrow.”
“Go ahead. I can handle the beach rentals alone,” Jim said. “Business is still slow.” He hung up.
“That information may not help Jim, but it helps us,” Phil said. “That was no spring break prank. Those two thieves were wearing about fifteen hundred dollars’ worth of dive gear. His ex-employee probably did steal his boards and break his paddles.”
“Did you hear anything in the beach bars?” Helen asked.
“Lots,” Phil said. “Sunny Jim’s ex wants part of his rental business. Wilma Jane Wyman, the commissioner’s daughter, actually went to a city commission meeting. Wilma told the commission she helped build Sunny Jim’s business and she was entitled to a share of his profits when his lease was renewed. She’s quite the looker, too.”
“You met her in a beach bar?” Helen asked.
“Nope,” Phil said. “The Riggs Beach City Commission meetings are taped. You can see them online. Watch.”
Phil tapped more keys on his computer and called up a grainy color video. The sound was boomy, but the speakers were captioned. He fast-forwarded it until Helen could see an impressive wood-paneled room where the Riggs Beach commissioners sat in a U-shaped arrangement, with the mayor in the middle.
“That’s Mayor Eustice Timmons, also known as Useless,” Phil said. “Man bends with every political wind. He acts as moderator at the
“This looks even scarier because they’re faceless and soundless,” Helen said. “How many paddles did they break?”
“A dozen, at two hundred bucks apiece,” Phil said.
Snapped paddle shards were tossed about like downed branches after a windstorm. Then one vandal hoisted a paddleboard off the rack. The other followed him. Helen watched them walk out of the frame with the two boards.
“Look at the man on the left,” Phil said. “Is he limping?”
“I’m not sure,” Helen said. “He could be adjusting his gait because he’s carrying that heavy board.”
“Look at it one more time,” Phil said. He reversed the video until the two men were once again leaving the trailer carrying the boards, then slowed it so Helen could watch it frame by frame. Now she saw it.
“He’s definitely favoring his right ankle,” Helen said. “See how carefully he goes down the ramp?”
Phil sighed with relief. “We might have him,” he said. “Those men are the right size to be Jim’s former employee, Randy, and his buddy Buzz. They both have alibis for the time of the break-in. Each one says he spent the night with a girlfriend and the women confirm it.”
“Not exactly airtight,” Helen said.
“Is it too late to call Sunny Jim?” Phil said. They checked the office clock.
“It’s only eight,” Helen said.
Phil put the office phone on speaker and punched in Jim’s cell phone number.
“You got something for me?” Jim asked.
“I might,” Phil said. “Does your old employee, Randy, walk with a limp?”
“A limp?” Long pause. “No, he doesn’t limp. Where’d you get that idea?”
“Just a thought,” Phil said.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Jim said. “He doesn’t walk with a limp, but he sprained his ankle this spring. Happened late January, early February.”
“One of the guys on your security video has a limp,” Phil said.
“That’s Randy,” Jim said, his voice triumphant. “You got him.”
“Not really,” Phil said. “Not unless he’s still limping.”
“No, his ankle healed up in about six weeks. He’s walking fine now.”
“Did he go to the ER for his ankle?” Phil asked.
“Doubt it,” Jim said. “Randy doesn’t have health insurance. Well, at least we know he did the break-in. But that doesn’t help me.”
“We’ll keep at it,” Phil said. “Unless you need me, I’ll be tracking down the killer tomorrow.”
“Go ahead. I can handle the beach rentals alone,” Jim said. “Business is still slow.” He hung up.
“That information may not help Jim, but it helps us,” Phil said. “That was no spring break prank. Those two thieves were wearing about fifteen hundred dollars’ worth of dive gear. His ex-employee probably did steal his boards and break his paddles.”
“Did you hear anything in the beach bars?” Helen asked.
“Lots,” Phil said. “Sunny Jim’s ex wants part of his rental business. Wilma Jane Wyman, the commissioner’s daughter, actually went to a city commission meeting. Wilma told the commission she helped build Sunny Jim’s business and she was entitled to a share of his profits when his lease was renewed. She’s quite the looker, too.”
“You met her in a beach bar?” Helen asked.
“Nope,” Phil said. “The Riggs Beach City Commission meetings are taped. You can see them online. Watch.”
Phil tapped more keys on his computer and called up a grainy color video. The sound was boomy, but the speakers were captioned. He fast-forwarded it until Helen could see an impressive wood-paneled room where the Riggs Beach commissioners sat in a U-shaped arrangement, with the mayor in the middle.
“That’s Mayor Eustice Timmons, also known as Useless,” Phil said. “Man bends with every political wind. He acts as moderator at the
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